WILDER, Idaho — Summer is the time for blockbuster movie releases and a group of students from the Wilder School District are trying to leave their mark on the big screen this season with their film "The Return to Oz."
The film debuted at the Egyptian Theater in Downtown Boise on Tuesday, with students working on all aspects of the movie, from writing and animation to voice acting and music.
The district offers an animation program through a grant they received a few years ago, and the studio on campus now allows students access to all the tools needed to create animated films.
This is the second full-length feature to come out of the studio, serving as a sequel to the first one which was released in 2019.
Miguel Echegoyen, a student, worked on the score and soundtrack for the film. He recently got into making music and is using the movie as a way to get practice.
“I want to get big, that’s what I want to do," Echegoyen said. "If I stay on my grind, I believe I can. This is a big step for me especially on my portfolio and other things. If it’s a sound engineer or a producer whatever I want to pursue in the future. I want to get that done”
Mike Nelson teaches the class and he says he loves to get kids, like Miguel, to work on things they are passionate about.
“To find a passion, to find an interest, and really try to elevate that passion and to help try to find an avenue for those kids to enhance, really take it to the next level, that’s what I try to do," Nelson said.
"The Return to Oz" has not been uploaded online just yet, but you can watch a number of their other films on their YouTube page here.
